"to-do" vs. "to-be"

Are you a list maker like me? It's easy for me to overwhelm myself with tasks swirling around in my head that need to be done, and it's only when I write them on a list with a check box next to them that I feel like I can conquer the pile of things that need to get finished.

This past weekend, I didn't do anything on my checklist except watch and listen to General Conference. One particular remark from Elder Lynn G. Robbins caught my ear as he talked about "doing" versus "being."

"Many of us create to-do lists to remind us of things we want to accomplish, but people rarely have "to-be" lists. Why? To-do's are activities or events that can be checked off the list when done. To be, however, is never done. You can't earn checkmarks with be's...As a parent, when can I check a child off my list as done? We are never done being good parents, and to be good parents, one of the most important things we can teach our children is how to be more like the Savior."

It seems like I learn more often from them how to be like the Savior than I teach them. I guess we teach each other. So, just when I start to work myself into a tizzy because I'm not getting enough done or checking things off my list or finishing that lingering project, I will remember to look at my children and just be. All I have to do is watch them to know how it's done.